Here’s Why You Need to Hire a Dog Bite Attorney

Being attacked by a dog can be both physically and emotionally scarring. If you or a family member has been bitten by a dog and the owner of the dog is liable for their pets’ actions, you are entitled to compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and any future expenses, such as professional counseling, that may be needed. When dealing with an attack by a dog, one of the very best things that you can do is hire an experienced dog bite attorney. A dog bite attorney is an excellent resource who can help ensure that you receive the settlement that you deserve. Some of the top benefits of hiring a dog bite attorney include:

Communication

Communicating with the owners of a dog who bit you, as well as their homeowners’ insurance company, can be quite a hassle. This can be especially true if there is any animosity between you and the dog owner. One of the great things about hiring a dog bite attorney is the fact that he or she will take care of all necessary communication so you don’t have to. After you hire your attorney, he or she will get in touch with the dog owner to collect information about their homeowners’ insurance carrier and policy. Then, your attorney will continue to communicate with the insurance company on your behalf.

Determination of What Your Claim Is Worth

Most people have little to no experience with dog bite injury claims, so they have no idea of what their claim is worth. Homeowners’ insurance companies know this, and they try to take advantage of this fact by offering dog bite victims who do not have legal representation low settlement amounts. When you hire a dog bite attorney, he or she will be able to assess the details of your case, look at your medical records, and determine what size settlement you are entitled to. Your attorney will then negotiate on your behalf to ensure that the settlement that you receive is fair.

No Out-of-Pocket Costs

Almost all dog bite attorneys work on contingency, so their services won’t cost you a dime out of pocket. They are paid for their legal services with a percentage of your settlement. Since it won’t cost you any money to utilize the services of a dog bite attorney, it doesn’t make sense not to hire one if you have been injured after being attacked by a dog.

 

Dog Bites Can Involve a Range of Complications

Outside of physical injury, dog bites can also be a source of ongoing mental distress for many victims. For instance, a victim of a dog bite injury in Boulder may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the attack. This mental anguish can affect many other aspects of one’s life, from the ability to earn a living to being able to take a walk outside.

If the dog bite is severe enough, it may require medical attention. In many cases, this medical care must be paid for by the victim, even though the sustained injuries are result of someone else’s negligence. This is especially true for dog owners who haven’t taken the proper precautions to ensure their pets aren’t a risk to others. Most states require that animals be leashed and contained when in public. In the event that a dog owner has failed to sufficiently control an animal, a legal solution may be required.

 

What to Do If You’ve Been Bitten By a Dog

If you have been bitten by a dog, the first response is probably to remove yourself (or the dog) from the situation. Even if the dog didn’t mean to bite aggressively, the ensuing commotion may cause the dog to panic further. This can result in greater injury.

After that, there are a few steps to take to clean the dog bite and prevent infection.

1. Apply pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. If possible, find a clean cloth or towel to prevent contamination.
2. Go to the nearest kitchen or bathroom to clean the bite with soap and water.
3. If the wound is very large or deep, head to a local clinic or doctor’s office, as you may need stitches or other assistance.
4. Apply a clean bandage and a disinfecting ointment to the wound each day.
5. Over the next few days, continue to change the bandages and check for any redness, swelling, or discharge that could indicate infection.

If you notice any of these symptoms, go to your doctor for antibiotics and treatment.

 

Benefits Of Hiring A Personal Injury Attorney

These are the benefits of hiring an attorney on a personal injury claim:

Free Consultations.

Most personal injury attorneys give free consultations to prospective clients.  In some cases, the attorney will utilize hard sale tactics during the initial consultation. Because of this, sometimes it is difficult to leave the attorney’s office without signing a contingency fee agreement.  However, since you do not owe the attorney anything for the free consultation, you can tell him that you want to speak to other attorneys before making your decision to hire one.  You can obtain valuable information about the merits of your accident claim during this consultation.  If the attorney does not spend much time with you during the  initial consultation and doesn’t answer all of your questions, this is some indication of how he will probably handle your claim. Make list of questions for the consultation. This will afford greater knowledge and insight into your personal injury claim.

Reduced stress.

Once you hire an attorney on a personal injury claim, the attorney will deal with the insurance companies on your behalf. The end result will be reduced stress to you.  Some personal injury attorneys don’t handle your property damage, because it involves a lot of time and effort for little, or no, compensation.  Ask the attorney during the initial consultation if he handles property damage.  If he doesn’t, he is not providing you with full service for his contingency fee.  If he does, he is most likely a full-service Personal Injury Lawyer, and he will not take a contingency fee on the property damage and rental car aspects of your claim.  This is major benefit of attorney representation.

Statute of Limitations.

Many victims of personal injury accidents who are not represented by an attorney fall victim to Statutes of Limitations.  These are cut-off periods of time that can extinguish your claim.  It these statutes of repose are “blown” by not filing a Complaint with the appropriate Court within the relevant Statute of Limitations, the result will be your inability to recover against the adverse party and/or his insurance coverage. You lose the right to sue the adverse party. Different statutes of limitations apply to third-party claims (claims against  the other party’s liability coverage) and first party claims against your own insurance company.  Your attorney will protect your interests regarding these cut-off dates.

 

What compensation am I entitled to?

An experienced attorney will advise you concerning what you can expect on your claim.  The types of compensation that you are entitled to may change with time and the course of your medical treatment.  Proof of wage loss to an adverse carrier generally involves doctor’s excuses, pay stubs to track your earnings history prior to the accident, payroll records showing your actual wage loss, and a letter from your employer explaining your job and compensation.  If you have a substantial wage loss claim, you need an attorney to handle this aspect of your claim.

Ability to negotiate.

The hammer that the attorney has on a personal injury claim is that he can file suit causing the adverse insurance carrier to spend time and money to defend it.  The layperson is not capable of putting this pressure on an insurance carrier. Therefore, the claimant  will have much  less negotiating power with the involved insurance company.  The attorney can also sue the insurance company for bad faith on first party claims, if the insurance company doesn’t handle your claim fairly.

How to prepare for Initial Consultation together

It can be said that the first appointment between a client and a lawyer is best described as a bit like a first date.

And, understand that this may be the first time that you have had to seek the assistance of a solicitor – let alone for something as personal as a Family Law matter. Because know this step can be quite daunting, popped together some handy tips to help the process to ease the nerves and anticipation for you, plus help the process run smoothly for both.

What to expect

Do not feel anxious about your first consultation with a lawyer. are here to help you through the process and are acting in your best interests. Everything you tell your lawyer in the first consultation (or at any time in fact) is confidential. So feel free to confide in your lawyer.

The initial consultation is usually a time to get to know your lawyer and to tell them what has brought you to them and to discuss your goals – that is, what you want to achieve at the end of the process. It is also an opportunity for you to ask the lawyer any specific questions you have (write down a list in advance so that you cover everything and you do not feel pressured in the consult to remember everything).

Being prepared on the outset will save you time and money. At Family Law have a questionnaire that send to all new clients for them to complete prior to their initial consultation. However not all solicitors provide that service, so it is recommended (however not a necessity) for you to bring along with you the following (mostly for financial matters):

A list of any specific questions you have.

A copy of your marriage certificate.

Children’s and former spouse’s names and dates of birth.

A copy of the children’s birth certificates.

The name of your former spouse’s solicitor (if they have one).

Any correspondence you have received from your former spouse or their solicitor.

A list of assets including the address of all real estate owned by you or your former spouse and any documents relating to their purchase or recent title searches.

Market appraisals of your home and any other real estate.

A list detailing all of the valuable property, such as cars, jewellery, appliances, cameras and electronic equipment and valuations.

A list of bank accounts, stocks, shares or other investments that you and your former spouse have, stating whether they are held singly or jointly and recent valuations (if any).

A list of debts including mortgages, personal loans, credit cards and charge accounts.

A list of monthly expenses.

Recent pay advice slips for you and/or your former spouse.

Copies of income tax returns for you and your former spouse for the past three years.

If you own a business or have an interest in a family company and/or trust, copies of the taxation returns and financial statements for the past three years.

Copies of medical insurance and life insurance policies for both you and your former spouse.

Copies of any superannuation documents for both you and your former spouse particularly the names of the superannuation funds in which either of you may have an interest.

If either you or your former spouse has been divorced, a copy of the divorce papers.

A list of your non-financial contribution to the household i.e. renovations, home decoration, child duties, garden work.

A list of assets owned by you and owned by your former spouse at the commencement of the relationship.

A list of any inheritances, gifts from family or friends to either you or your former spouse, windfalls such as lottery wins that you or your former spouse may have received during the relationship or following separation.

If you do not have any or all of the above, do not put off obtaining legal advice. An experienced Family Law solicitor will be able to properly advise you even if you do not have the documents, so as long as you are able to provide a rough idea of what is involved.

 

Principal Attorney

There are a lot of lawyers out there, and you might be wondering why choosing me is your best option. It’s a really good question – and one that you should ask yourself before you choose an attorney for any legal service. I’m not keen on bragging about myself, but I have a number of qualities that not only make me a good lawyer, but the right choice for a person in need.

An engaging speaker

Before I become an attorney, I worked as professional stage magician – and while I can’t make my legal opponents “disappear,” I’m exceptionally good at keeping an audience’s attention focused on what I am presenting. After more than 20 years in front of audiences, I’ve honed my communication skills to a tee, which means juries understand me and judges appreciate me, and these are the people you need to impress.

Willing to fight for you

I also hold a fourth degree black belt in American Karate, and a second degree black belt in Shotokan Karate-Do. I don’t back down from a challenge – in fact, I relish a good, clean fight. I’m not afraid to face off in the ring, and I’m not afraid to take on complex immigration, family law and criminal defense cases that other lawyers may deem unwinnable.

Am I going to work with you?

Sometimes. Sometimes, you’ll work with another attorney from the firm. Remember that part where I said I respect your time and money? I meant that. If all your case requires is the filing of some paperwork, then you’ll work with another attorney who’s overseen by me, because that will save you some bucks. If your case involves going to trial, then you best believe I’ll be right there with you.

Are you gonna be a bulldog?

Have you ever MET a bulldog? They’re the dopiest creatures on earth. They can’t even give birth without assistance because the puppies’ heads are too darn big. Trust me: you don’t want a bulldog.

 

How to Prepare for Divorce: Divorce Advice for Stay-At-Home Moms

Preparing for a divorce is a lot more than just picking up the phone and calling an attorney. There are the emotional aspects, financial, legal, and, of course, there are parenting issues. It means figuring out what life is going to look like when it’s all said and done and includes preparing your children for the transition. For the stay-at-home mom, there are additional concerns around income.

Emotional Preparation

When you realize that your marriage is over, it’s normal to feel a variety of emotions. Over time, you’ll experience all of the stages of grief. You’ll be grieving not only the loss of your relationship but also the loss of the dreams that you shared and the life that you knew. Give yourself time to process each stage of grief throughout the process.

The Emotional Stages of Divorce:

The stages of grief include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Don’t rush through these stages as feeling and processing each of them is what will help you to move forward.

Denial

Have you felt like putting your head in the sand and acting like nothing is going on around you? That’s denial. Denial is your psyche’s way of protecting you from becoming emotionally overwhelmed. It’s a useful coping mechanism, as long as it doesn’t keep you from progressing onto the next stage.

Anger

When people are angry, they tend to lash out and to blame. Keep in mind that it’s completely normal. With that said, lashing out can do more damage than good. If you’re looking for productive ways to release the anger without further damaging your relationship, consider physical activity. If you don’t like to exercise, you may find writing angry letters to your spouse to get your feelings out to be helpful. You can always tear them up or burn them, but sometimes getting your emotions out of your head and down on paper can feel good. Of course, reaching out to a good friend who is willing to listen is always helpful.

 

How to Prepare for Divorce – Experts Share Their Best Tips

So if you’ve made the decision to divorce or are facing divorce proceedings because your spouse has stated their intention to end the marriage, you might be wondering what first steps you should take to get through this difficult process as quickly and amicably as you can.

We also asked a number of former clients who are now divorced what, if anything, they would have done differently to make their divorce more peaceful, fair, cost-effective and/or easier on their kids. And what divorce advice they have for others getting ready to start the divorce process with children.

“If you could offer your best tips on how to prepare for a divorce that’s peaceful, what would they be?”

Naturally, there are some differences of opinion, which we feel contribute to the authenticity of this resource.

But below are some of the most popular tips:

Get educated and do your research on how the divorce process works;

Learn about divorce mediation because it’s a peaceful divorce option;

Get organized financially;

Choose an experienced and competent professional to guide you through the proceedings;

Take responsibility and actively participate in your divorce negotiations;

Treat divorce negotiations with your spouse like a business transaction;

Get emotional support and learn how to lower your emotional reactivity;

Focus on your children and don’t badmouth your spouse in front of your kids;

Stay in your integrity;

Focus on the big picture.

 

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIGH ASSET DIVORCE: Q&A WITH FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

Every divorce is emotionally and financially challenging. Cases involving high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) are especially complex as there is more to be divided and therefore, greater expertise required to reach a settlement. You’ve worked hard for what you have and without solid representation, assets such as your homes, businesses, investment properties and savings are at risk.

What are the common questions that clients ask at the early stages of divorce?

There are three big questions that all clients ask: Am I going to be ok financially? What am I entitled to? What will I have to part with? Clients want to know what this process is going to look like, so I always endeavor to quell some of these feelings of uncertainty by providing a roadmap. Our first step towards answering those questions is within the documents we ask clients to bring in for their initial consultation; they serve as a starting point and help us get a clearer picture of their current state of affairs.

Why are an increasing number of HNWI’s choosing mediation over trial?

I have been a family law mediator for 24 years. When I first began as a divorce attorney, I tried 40-50 cases per year (which is a lot). Since then, the process has changed significantly. In recent years, mediation has become the preferred method of resolution; especially in high asset divorces, where privacy is of chief importance. Some individuals do not realize that as soon as a case is filed in court, it goes on the public record, leaving anyone with the ability to take a look at your situation by paying a quick trip to the courthouse

How long does the process take?

divorce can be accomplished within a minimum of 90 days, however most high-asset divorces take upwards of one year to be finalized. This is largely due to the amount of data collection and expertise required. Because HNWI have significant and complex assets, the services of appraisers, valuators and forensic accountants are frequently sought out to ensure assets are accurately valued. Apart from real properties and businesses, there are less obvious assets that also require expert valuation. From comprehensive in-the-box Barbie dolls and rare guitar collections to bank accounts, everything you’ve acquired as a couple must have a number put on it, and to do it right does take time.

What changes in lifestyle can high-net-worth clients expect?

Clients often experience the biggest financial adjustment to their lifestyles when they look at their assets and realize that they’re going to have to divide it fairly and equitably (not necessarily 50/50). Both their net worth and income stream are going to be, without a doubt, impacted.

What to Look For in a Divorce Lawyer How to Choose Wisely

You need to know your rights, tasks and responsibilities under the law. Just a attorney who has been maintained to represent your pursuits can encourage you. How can you really examine financial agreements in splitting up and divorcing, if you don’t understand what your rights, jobs and responsibilities are? Not knowing what your rights are can result in maybe not getting the fair share of resources, your fair share of support or your great amount of time with your children.

The earlier you obtain a attorney, the sooner you’ll learn what you need to know to safeguard your self (and your children and house interests). Occasionally people do not know how exactly to begin identifying the issues they should examine, even when the separation is an amicable one and the events anticipate a “pleasant divorce.” A great, experienced divorce lawyer can support you in determining the difficulties you will need to discuss with your spouse to attain a comprehensive deal and world wide settlement. Over time there has been numerous occasions when we managed to point out to customers places they’d initially ignored and problems which should be included in their settlement discussions, such as living insurance, health insurance, and children’s educational needs.

 

How do you go about finding a good divorce lawyer? Here are a few recommendations:

Ask an Attorney

If you understand a lawyer, ask him/her for a recommendation to a good divorce lawyer. She or he will most likely know somebody or several someones who dedicate a considerable portion of the practice of law to separation and divorce and associated issues. I have been handling separation and divorce for 30 years and have an excellent reputation among the local legal community. Any divorce attorney worth his/her salt ought to have developed a credibility among other legal representatives. Lawyers usually understand who is good for a particular kind of case; they certainly know who they would see, if they were facing separation and divorce.

 

Self-Confidence

If your guesswork is accurate on the above research, most possibly you can evaluate that out of his/her sparking eyes, smart understanding of things, and confidence level. It’s no mandatory that a good student should be a first-rate educator and equally all JD’s don’t get same level of recognition in the industry. Given that, lots of divorce disputes appear with extremely cunning issues and dealing with them is not everyone’s cup of tea. While sharing the elements related to your custody issue, alimony, child support or property dispute, check how self-assured you attorney looks like. Their confidence level could be well readable out of how they speak, behave, and react.

Expertise to Case-building

Regardless of you agree to undergo a mediate or two-way divorce process or it’s likely to knock the door of courtroom clash, techniques of case building is most worthy weapon of top divorce lawyers in The Woodlands that help them thrive in negotiation or courtroom practices. Specially, in course of litigation, when you spouse or ex is well-prepared with his/her own lawyer, it’s the technical expertise, procedural experience, and vision power that help them to construct unbeatable strategies.

 

Going to court about family law unless it is compulsory

is like using a sledgehammer on a flea problem; you may kill a few fleas, but you wreak much damage to the structure of the house, too. When individuals settle their cases outside of court, they can be a lot more creative than the court would be in fashioning a remedy that is fair to both parties. Sometimes, an agreement is not possible. When that is the case, you want an experienced, able divorce attorney who can advocate for your position in court and has a proven track record of success.

 

Choose a divorce lawyer you trust.

Throughout the divorce process, you will need to share private and sensitive information with your divorce attorney – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Your attorney must know everything that the other party may use against you. Bad facts are easier to manage if your attorney is made aware of them early on. Your attorney will also have a different perspective than you on whether certain facts are legally relevant or not. You must be able to trust your attorney and be comfortable opening up to them. With that in mind, remember that your attorney is not your best friend or your therapist; your attorney is there to “counsel” you by providing legal advice. If your attorney inserts him/herself too much into your life, their ability to provide objective, sound advice about your case can be compromised. The best attorneys are those who are able to maintain a caring distance, to be empathetic yet objective.

Go with your “gut” – finding the right “fit” is a must in the attorney-client relationship.

Not every family law attorney will be the right fit for you, even the ones who coming highly recommended. If you value an attorney who can hold your hand throughout the process and educate you about each and every development throughout your case, be cautious of attorneys with too high of a caseload who may not have the time or support to be in communication with you. If you need an attorney to assist with the division of interests in a closely-held family business, you will need an attorney with a business background, or at the very least an attorney with a strong network of reliable financial consultants. Not all family law attorneys have the knowledge or skillset to handle high asset divorce cases. Likewise, not all family law attorneys are proficient at handling contentious custody matters or allegations of domestic violence or abuse and neglect. Don’t be afraid to ask your attorney if they’ve handled a case like yours. At the end of the day, you are your best advocate and you must follow your instincts when choosing an attorney to advocate on your behalf.